Events Update
July 28, 2008

Parmer County Wheat Conference Set for Aug. 8 in Farwell

The Parmer County Wheat Conference conducted by the Texas AgriLife Extension Service will be 9 a.m.-noon Aug. 8 in the Farwell Community Center. One Texas Department of Agriculture continuing education unit will be offered in the integrated pest management category. Conference topics will include wheat variety selection, fertility, weed control, seed treatment options and wheat diseases. Counties conducting the conference are Parmer, Bailey, Lamb and Castro. The conference is free and open to the public. For more information and to register, contact Benji Henderson at 806-481-3619.

Wind Energy and Wildlife Seminar Scheduled for Aug. 8-9

The Panhandle Wind and Wildlife Conference on Aug. 8-9 in Amarillo is an effort to provide landowners with an impartial view of wind energy development, said a Texas AgriLife Extension Service specialist.

AgriLife Extension, the Texas Wildlife Association and Texas Parks and Wildlife Department are working together to offer the two-day conference at the Ambassador Hotel, 3100 W. I-40, in Amarillo.

The program will begin with registration at 7:30 a.m. and run through 5 p.m. Aug. 8. The second day will also begin at 7:30 a.m. with coffee and doughnuts, followed by an 8 a.m. departure for a tour of Wildorado Wind Ranch.

“Getting an impartial handle on all of the ins and outs, the pros and the cons, the advantages and disadvantages, is a daunting task,” said Ken Cearley, AgriLife Extension wildlife specialist in Canyon.

The meeting is aimed at objectively educating landowners and the general public about the many issues associated with wind energy opportunities that should be considered before signing a contract, including the affects on wildlife, Cearley said.

Some of the topics covered will be: the history and current state of wind energy; its future and viability; what is known about its effect on wildlife; power transmission issues; and land appraisals and the effect on real estate value by wind energy development.

Discussion panels will include landowners, operators and state-elected officials. Panels also will include representatives from universities, agricultural organizations, conservation organizations, the wind energy industry, and state and federal agencies.

A visit to the Wildorado Wind Ranch will provide participants with an up-close introduction to the day-to-day operations of a wind-energy project, as well as what is involved in site determination and construction, Cearley said.

The fee is $75. To register, contact Kassi Scheffer at 800-839-9453 or kscheffer@texas-wildlife.org.

For more information on the conference, contact Cearley at 806-651-5760 or kcearley@ag.tamu.edu.

QuickBooks Pro Computer Courses Scheduled in Amarillo and Lubbock

QuickBooks Pro computer short courses will be taught in a two-day format Aug. 20-21 in Amarillo and Aug. 26-27 in Lubbock.

Each day of training will run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., said DeDe Jones, Texas AgriLife Extension Service risk management specialist in Amarillo. Both courses will be at the Texas AgriLife Research and Extension Center in their respective cities.

QuickBooks Pro is a double-entry business accounting program used by agricultural lenders and producers, Jones said. In the two-day course, participants will develop cost and profit centers, enter transactions and create reports.

The course registration fee is $75 and will cover computer-lease payments and teaching materials, Jones said. Couples are encouraged to attend and will be charged only one registration fee if they share a computer.

Class size for each course is limited to 15 to provide a “hands-on” experience for all participants, she said.

Program tips will be discussed throughout the course, she said. No prior computer experience is necessary.

For more information, contact Jones at 806-677-5667 or a county AgriLife Extension office.

To register for the course, send name, address and phone number to DeDe Jones, Texas AgriLife Extension Service, 6500 W. Amarillo Blvd., Amarillo, Texas 79106. Payment is due upon arrival the first day of the course.

Cattlemen’s Boot Camp set August 22-23 at Texas A&M

Cattle producers who want to learn more about various segments of production, marketing and carcass value will want to attend the Cattlemen’s Boot Camp, Aug. 22-23 at the Texas A&M University (TAMU) Beef Center, College Station, Texas. The Cattlemen’s Boot Camp is a cooperative effort between TAMU, the American Angus Association® and the Angus Foundation.

TAMU professors and Association staff will present the program. Small groups will be formed to allow for more hands-on interaction.

The event will begin at 9 a.m., Friday, Aug. 22 at the TAMU Beef Center, and runs through noon on Saturday, Aug. 23. Following the Boot Camp, Association staff will offer an optional session about specific Association processes and procedures for any member who wants to participate.

Registration is just $75, which includes meals and materials for the Boot Camp. Enrollment is limited, so sign up today by contacting the Association for registration materials.

A block of rooms has been reserved at the Holiday Inn Express. Call 979-846-8700 by Aug. 1 to reserve a room at the negotiated rate. Be sure to ask for the Cattlemen’s Boot Camp or CBC block.

Registration forms are available online at www.angus.org. For more information about Boot Camp or to register, contact Monica Jordan or Shelia Stannard at 816-383-5100.

— Release provided by the American Angus Association.

Missouri Angus Tour Set for August 22-24

Angus breeders and enthusiasts are invited to “Show-Me SEMO Angus,” the Missouri Angus Tour in Cape Girardeau, Mo., Aug. 22-24. The weekend will be an opportunity to meet with old friends and make new ones, all while enjoying a common interest: Angus cattle.

This year’s tour will highlight more than a dozen Angus operations in southeastern Missouri and includes additional stops at the Southeast Missouri Regional Port Authority (Semo Port) and Sandy Ridge Cotton Gin Co.

Friday evening will include registration and a social at Drury Inn, the tour headquarter hotel, in Cape Girardeau. Saturday will be a full day starting with the tour of Semo Port, followed by viewing cattle from seven Angus farms and the Sandy Ridge Cotton Gin Company visit. The evening will conclude with dinner at Hickory Log, a restaurant famous for its barbecue ribs. Sunday’s activities will include the Southeast Missouri State University farm visit and displays from five more Angus farms.

Those interested in participating in the “Show-Me SEMO Angus” tour should register by July 22. Registration fees are $75 by July 22, or $100 after, and include meals and bus transportation, but do not include hotel accommodations. To register, send a list of participants along with $75 for each person to Brian and Paula Meier, 1523 County Road 335, Jackson, MO, 63755.

Registrants may make hotel accommodations at Drury Inn, Cape Girardeau, Mo., 573-334-7151. For information regarding the 2008 Missouri Angus Tour, please contact Brian and Paula Meier at 573-204-7916.

— Release provided by the American Angus Association. 

— compiled by Mathew Elliott, assistant editor, Angus Productions Inc.